Spray shaper



151942. F. w. WAHUN 2,305,210

"SPRAY SHAPER I Filed Octv. 28, 1940 Y Patented Dec. is, 1942 l SPRAY SHAPEB l'ed W. 'Wahlim Chicago, Ill., assignor to Spray- 4 ing Systems Co., Chicago, lll'., a corporation of Illinois Application-October 28, 1940, Serial No. 363,087

2 Claims.

My invention relates to the spraying of liquids and has reference more particularly to a method of and facilities for controlling the shape of the spray.

In the spraying of liquids, especially for industrial purposes, the present spray heads or nozzles do not produce a spray pattern of the most desirable or advantageous form for many purposes. Usually the spray is of a general circular shape in cross section whereasV a rectilinear form of spray is oftentimes desired, especially in group or battery spraying wherein the generally circular sprays do not fit together or match up with one another in adjoining relation to produce a solid uniform spray area such as would be obtainable, for example, with square or rectangular sprays which could, of course, be arranged in adjoining side by side relation with the straight side or margin of one coinciding with the straight side or margin of the next adjoining spray so as to present a composite juniiorm uninterrupted spray effect.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide improved spraying facilities and an improvedmethod of spraying; to shape the spray so as to afford greater uniformity of distribution: to insure uniform coverage of an area either with a battery or group of spraying units or Vwith a single unit; and to accomplish such spray shaping and uniform distribution and coverage in a simple and convenient manner, these and other objects being accomplished as pointed out in the following description wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a View of the discharge end of a spray nozzle constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a .perspective view of the spray nozzle body of Figs. 1 and 2 showing a swirl member thereof partially withdrawn from its normal position within said body;

Fig. 4 is a. diagrammatic view, greatly reduced, showing the discharge end of the spray nozzle and the shape of the spray produced thereby;

, Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View of a modifled form of spray nozzle embodying the invention; and

Referring to the drawing, and particularly Figs. 1 to 4 thereof, the reference numeral II indicates the nozzle body which has an elongated chamber I2 therein, dome shaped at one end as indicated at I3 to provide a mixing chamber and with a circular discharge orifice I4 leading outwardly from the dome shaped mixing chamber. At the end remote from the discharge orifice I4, the body II is bored out as at I5 to accommodate a generally cylindrical swirl member I6 which is arranged to seat against a shoulder or offset I'I between themixing chamber I2 and the swirl chamber I5.

vThe lower end of the nozzle I I is externally threaded as at I8 to have threadedf connection with an internally threaded coupling I9 which is provided with an internal flange 20 to retain the swirl member I6 in the chamber I5, and the opposite end of the nozzle body II may be squared as indicated at 2l for wrench engagement.

" VThe swirl member I6r comprises a pair of semi-elliptical intersecting vanes 22 and 23, arranged angularly as shown to impart a swirling movement to liquid under pressure passing through the nozzle. Each of the vanes 22 and 23 is provided with a notch 24 and 25 respectively, which impart a counterswirl or turbulence to the central portion of the stream so as to produce an action of the liquid which will cause it, after passing through the mixing chamber I2, to discharge from the orifice I4 in the form of a uniformly distributed spreading spray.

The spray normally discharged by such a nozzle construction is conical in form and of circular spread. It is desirable, as pointed out above, to control the shape of the spray so that it will be uniformly distributed over an area which is rectangular, square or the like.

I have found that, such shaping of the spray can be accomplished by providing notches in the discharge end of the nozzle leading radially from the discharge orifice I4. In the illustrated construction four equally spaced notches or grooves 26 of,shallow V-shaped cross section are arranged to produce a square spread of the spray from the round orifice I4 and it will be understood that since each groove 26 is in line with a groove 26 at the opposite side of the orifice I4, each vpair of aligning grooves may be readily formed by merely cutting a V-shaped groove across the end face of the nozzle body.

Thus as the swirling stream of liquid is forced outwardly through the discharge opening I4 it is peripherally released at each notch location along a zone of progressively increasing circumferential width from the bottom of the notch to the top thereof with the result that the liquid released at the bottoms of the notches has a wider spread than that released at the top and because of the gradually diminishing spread from the bottom to the top ofthe notches a square spread of the spray substantially as indicated at 21 in Fig. 4 is produced with the corners 28 thereof substantially in line with the grooves 26. Obviously, by varying the number, location and depth of the notches or grooves 26 other desired forms or patterns of spray may be produced.

As a provision for conveniently manipulating the swirl member I8 a vertical web 29 is provided between the straight edges of the vanes 22 and 2l below their intersection whereby the swirl member I6 can be easily grasped, as by means of tweezers or pliers, not shown, for removal or replacement.

In the modification shown in Figs. and 6 a one piece nozzle body 3l is constructed preferably of bronze or other suitable metal depending upon the use to which the nozzle is to be put. 'I'he swirl member 32 in this modified construction is provided with a larger web 33 which not only lls the space between the straight edges of the vanes below their intersection, but also projects downwardly a material distance to provide a tab whereby the swirl member can be grasped for manipulation. In this modified construction the entering edge of 'each of the vanes below their intersection is eut away as at 24 to provide freer access to the liquid entering the swirl chamber and a set screw is threaded through the wall of the nozzle body and engages the swirl member 32 to secure it in position in its chamber within the nozzle.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my improved facilities for and method of shaping a spray, it is to be understood that various changes and modications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention the scope of which is to be determined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. `A spray device comprising a body with a discharge orifice leading outwardly therefrom, the portion of the body around the outer margin of said orifice being substantially planar and having notches intersecting the orice at intervals therearound to regulate lthe spread of the discharged spray. l

2. A spray device of the full spray type having a substantially planar discharge end, a circular discharge orifice leading outwardly therethrough, a plurality of symmetrically spaced serrations in the said discharge end around the outer margin of said orifice and intersecting the same, said serrations being of a size to be substantially continuous throughout the circumferential margin of said orice to produce a substantially polygonal spreading of the discharged spray.

FRED W. WAHLIN. 

